I am a bit confused about different locker options I have. As I understand a full locker locks the axle, so if one wheel spins the other still get's power. Now if you look let's say the rear axle but both wheels have no tractions does all the power go to the rear axle - in short if you have front and rear lockers, do you also need to be able to lock the transfer case ( or somewhere else between front and rear)?
Next question : Air or electric lockers are 100% lockers? Detroit and Lock right are also 100% lockers but need no manual assistants to lock and unlock? So why would you not just install lock rights ( 65 & cheaper than an air locker) an call it good? What are the negative sides for Detroit or lock right lockers.? Why would you go with an air locker instead....
I am looking for a reliable locker for an expedition vehicle which will see a lot of sand and mud but it is not an extreme off road/ rock crawler..... but it will drive 5500 miles on bad roads.....
This is a discussion that needs to start with a description of the standard open differential - you need to understand how that works to understand why you need a locker.
When a four wheeled vehicle turns a corner, each wheel must travel a different distance, in the same time, so each wheel is turning at a different rate - the wheels on the outside of the turn travel further than those on the inside and the front wheels also travel further than the back.
The differential is what makes this possible - the differential allows the wheels to turn at different speeds, and without it both wheels on the axle would be forced to turn at the same speed, and one of the wheels would have to slip.
Unfortunately, this very same function that we need when driving on a hard surface causes a different problem on a slippery surface, if one wheel on the axle has no traction on the slippery surface, it spins, and the other wheel which does have traction, doesn't - the end result is that the vehicle goes nowhere.
To fix this we can add either a limited slip differential - or - a locker.
With a limited slip differential - as the name suggests - the amount that the differential can slip is limited or restricted, so even though one wheel is spinning, some drive will be sent to the other wheel and the vehicle will (or should) move.
With a locker, the shafts are locked together, there is no differential action and if one wheel turns the other does also, and so the vehicle will move as long as one of the two wheels has traction.
Automatic lockers - lockright or detroit - is a bit of a misnomer - think of them as automatic
unlockers - the axles are locked together and unlock when necessary, for example to allow the outer wheel to travel faster in a turn - when this happens, the locker will typically make banging noises and the vehicle may jerk or twitch, especially on a wet road - if you fit one of these you will eventually adjust your driving style to accomodate this behaviour, usually by coasting through the turn, rather than powering trhough.
Electric or air lockers are selectable - engage them when you need, disengage them when you don't - and when they are disengaged, the vehicle drives exactly like it would without a locker, there are no bad road manners, no change in driving style.
One of the problems you can run into with lockers is axle breakage - you have no traction on one axle and end up putting full power through the other, instead of 50/50 and it snaps.
If I recall correctly KAM advertises an electric locker for the Suzuki, and also strengthened drive shafts.
http://www.kamdiffs.com/suzuki.php